V8 adds Perth, drops Bahrain for 2011

The Barbagallo event, which was dropped for the 2010 season due to the standard of the facilities at the circuit, will make a return after a year's absence, with new facilities set to be in place by 2012.

Another event under threat, at Queensland Raceway, also had its future shored up thanks to the state government and local council.

However, the event in Bahrain has been dropped from the calendar due to the proximity of when the event would have been held, a week or two after the Abu Dhabi event, and the GP2 Asia round in Februrary and the Formula 1 Grand Prix in March. It is unclear whether the series will return to Bahrain in the future, and if so, how soon.

A rumour regarding an event in Singapore next year has not come to fruition, though V8 Supercars Australia is looking to race in Singapore in the future, more likely at a circuit to be constructed at Changi rather than as a support event at the F1 Grand Prix.

Restrictions on track signage and the likelihood the event would not be for championship points is pushing the Singapore event away from the streets of Singapore and towards the Changi circuit.

"We came to the decision, due to commercial and logistical reasons, to concentrate on the new permanent circuit at Changi which opens in early 2012 rather than the Grand Prix event in September," said V8 Supercars Australia CEO Martin Whitaker.

The 2011 calendar:

Date               Event
February 10-12     Yas V8 400, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi 
March 17-20        Clipsal 500, Adelaide Parklands
March 24-27        Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne
                   (non-championship)
April 15-17        ITM 400 Hamilton, New Zealand
May 6-8            Barbagallo, Western Australia
May 20-22          Winton Raceway, Victoria
June 17-19         SKYCITY Triple Crown, Hidden Valley
July 8-10          Sucrogen Townsville 400, Queensland
August 19-21       Queensland Raceway, Ipswich
September 16-18    L&H 500, Phillip Island
October 6-9        Supercheap Auto 1000, Bathurst
October 21-23      Armor All Gold Coast 600, Surfers Paradise
November 11-13     Falken Tasmania Challenge, Symmons Plains
November 18-20     Norton 360 Sandown Challenge, Victoria
December 2-4       Sydney Telstra 500, Homebush